Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 21429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
* * *
Thankfully, Kathleen is still up when I get home and is downstairs in the living room watching some godawful reality dating show. Somehow, I actually feel like that might make this conversation easier actually.
“Hey um, Kathleen?”
Kathleen looks up and smiles. I know she would prefer if I called her mom, but for some reason, after all these years, it still doesn’t feel quite right.
“Yes?”
“Can I…talk to you about something?” My heart is absolutely racing, and I feel like I’m about to break out in a cold sweat.
“Sure.” She smiles. “I was just watching some trashy television. What’s up?”
I go around the coffee table and take a seat on the couch beside her. God, I wish Walker was here for this—even though in reality I’m actually glad he isn’t. Somehow, I know it would make things more difficult. This is something I need to do one on one with her.
Why does this even have to be an issue? Why did Kathleen and my dad even have to meet to begin with? Why couldn’t I have just run into Walker randomly on the street somewhere and why couldn’t we have just been two total strangers like every other couple out there?
Sure, that would have taken some of the fun out of the sneaky sex session we had last night in my room and dulled the taboo naughtiness too, but at least I wouldn’t have to be having this conversation right now.
“Are you all right, honey?” Kathleen asks. “You look paler than usual.”
“You were right,” I blurt out. I’ll just use the Walker strategy and rip the Band-Aid off quickly. “I’m in love with Walker.”
Kathleen stares at me for a very uncomfortable moment that stretches out for so long that I feel like I’m about to have a heart attack.
Say something!
Her eyes slowly narrow, and then she does something I never could have expected: She laughs.
“Okay,” she says, patting me on the knee. “Very funny! I guess I deserve that after what I said the other day.”
“I…what?”
“I never should have asked you if it was okay to leave you two together,” she apologizes. “That was rude of me. I apologize, but I have to say, you got me, Skylar—”
“I’m not kidding!” I snap. “We met one year ago when we were on vacation. I didn’t know who he was then. You and Dad were out of the house, Becca, Sam, and Emma were over and I couldn’t stand their gossip so I went outside and I ran into this guy—this tall, handsome, gorgeous, charming guy, and he invited me to go swimming down at the lake and we went skinny dipping and we had sex right there! It was my first time and I fell in love with him and I put my number in his phone hoping he would call me but he never did and then I found out when he moved in that he never called me because…because he was your son! Because he was my step-brother!”
Kathleen’s eyes couldn’t possibly get wider as she stares back at me like in temporary shock like I just tazed her. Then, slowly, she speaks.
“Oh, boy…”
“Oh, boy?” I reply, on the edge of panic. “I confess all this to you all that’s all you have to say? Do you have any idea what it took for me to tell you all that? And I only did because now my dad’s basically forcing Walker to go back to Los Angeles and work for him, even though he just got back here and Walker wants me to go with him and—”
“Relax,” Kathleen says, taking my hands in hers. The warmth in her voice has an immediate calming effect on me. “Maybe I shouldn’t have reacted that way, but it was…a lot to take in. Now you’re telling me Roman has asked Walker to go back to Los Angeles for him and Walker has asked you to go with him?”
“Yes,” I reply. “And I…well I want to go, but I’m worried…”
“About how it will look.” Kathleen nods. “And instead of going to your father, you came to me.” She smiles. I can see this actually means something to her. “I’m flattered you would trust me with something like this, Skylar.”
“Well…you seemed to understand the other day when you and I were talking.”
Kathleen squeezes my hands tight, but instead of giving me the commiserating look I was expecting, she stares deep into my eyes, which reminds me of Mrs. Larrabee, the guidance counselor at my high school.
“I do understand, Skylar,” she says firmly. “But there’s only one thing that really matters here.”
“W-what?” My voice is trembling. I feel like I’m about to fail a test, and when I fail, the rest of my life is going to be absolutely ruined.
“Do you really love him?”
I realize that every muscle in my body has been clenched because when she asks me this, I feel myself completely relax. For some reason, I even feel tears start to well up in my eyes.